Smartphones have completely changed how we live our lives, in many ways for the better. Their use, however, can also create hazardous situations. Smartphones are a huge distraction from simply walking down the street and texting to taking a driver’s eyes off the road for hundreds of feet of travel at a time. While it is a well-known fact that actively using a smartphone (or a regular cellphone) distracts you from other tasks at hand, recent research reports show negative effects from just having your smartphone in the area near you.

The Distractions of Smartphone Use

Today’s modern world is arguably busier and more distracting than ever before. Add smartphones into the mix, and you are guaranteed to lack focus on things occurring around you. It is obvious that using these devices while completing other tasks is distracting, but the studies showing cell phones can negatively affect cognitive abilities even when not in use may surprise you.

A Study Looking at the Effects of a Smartphone in Our Presence

An article published by the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research reported that the mere presence of an individual’s smartphone affected test scores that targeted attention and problem-solving. More specifically, the study’s two measures of cognitive capacity were “available working memory capacity” and “functional fluid intelligence.”

The researchers asked participants to place their smartphones in one of three places: (1) in sight on the desk where they were working; (2) in their pocket/ bag; or (3) in another room completely.

Even though the smartphones did not receive any notifications or alerts during the testing process, the individuals who had their phones on their desk where they could see them did worse on the test than those who had them in their pockets or bag. Furthermore, the individuals who had the phone in their pocket or bag performed worse than those who had their phone in another room.

The researchers also asked participants after the testing process how much they were thinking about their smartphones during the test. The most common response was “not at all,” even though the test scores clearly showed a relationship between how close the phone was to the participants and the score received on the test. The researchers concluded that an individual does not have to be actively thinking about their smartphone for it to affect cognitive capacity when it is around them.

Summary

It can be frightening to think of the negative effects technology can have on our brains. While the majority of individuals recognize the dangers of using a cell phone while completing tasks, many do not realize the impact that having a smartphone in our presence can have on our ability to focus and problem-solve. When completing tasks that require your full focus, consider putting your cell phone in a different area where it will not serve as a distraction for you.